Apparatus for the crimping of natural and synthetic textile materials



S p 2 1965 N. ROSENSTEIN ETAL 3,273,220

APPARATUS FOR THE CRIMPING OF NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC TEXTILE MATERIALS Original Filed Sept. 19, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IE Mm? W5 0N N 7 TE E 5 N3 N H,VLRR M 5 W W 1 mm 8.4 MA H A M R B? A M 2 G F Sept. 20, 19 N. ROSENSTEIN ETAL 3,273,220

APPARATUS FOR THE CRIMPING OF NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC TEXTILE MATERIALS Original Filed Sept. 19, 1960 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTORS.

NATHAN ROSEN5TEIN 45 AB AHAM J. ROSENSTFJN A TTOR/VE Y5.

United States Patent "ice 3,273,220 APPARATUS FOR THE CRIMPING OF NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC TEXTILE MATERIALS Nathan Rosenstein, West Hartford, Conn, and Abraham J. Rosenstein, New Marlboro, Mass., assignors to Spunize Company of America, Inc., Unionville, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Original application Sept. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 57,070, now Patent No. 3,164,882, dated Jan. 12, 1965. Divided and this application Nov. 9, 1964, Bar. No. 409,633 Claims. (Cl. 28-1) This application is a division of our copending US. application Serial No. 57,070, filed September 19, 1960, now US. Patent No. 3,164,882, which application was a continuation-in-part of our then co-pending application Serial No. 706,485, filed December 31, 1957 (now abandoned), which application was in part a continuation-inpart of our then co-pending applications Serial No. 556,- 589, filed December 30, 1955 (now abandoned), and Serial No. 519,052, filed June 30, 1955 (now abandoned). This invention relates generally to the subject matter of our US. Patent No. 2,715,309, and is an improvement thereof. While this Patent No. 2,715,309 discloses certain apparatus and processes for crimping a plurality of continuous filament yarns that have been brought together to form a rope, it is often desirable to maintain the various yarns in a flat web-like form. Furthermore, it is also desirable to obtain crimped filaments within such yarns which are crimped at different planes angularly about the longitudinal axis of the yarn, as well as to produce crimps in the individual filaments in a random angle or Zig-zag pattern arrangement. Formerly such yarns have been crimped with all the angles of the crimp being substandaily in one plane. Also, previous crimps had to be limited in number for inch and amplitude. Fabrics made from such yarns while having some bulk are limited in use because of the single plane crimp or the amplitude and number of crimps per inch. Also such crimped yarns in their heretofore produced form are difiicult to use in obtaining the spinning and bulking effects of fine yarns. Such types of continuous filament yarns because of the disadvantages hereinbefore indicated, greatly limit or restrict their use for commercial and industrial purposes.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide means for continuously processing synthetic continuous filament yarns to form a permanently fixed, crimped yarn While keeping the various yarn components separate, but in a web-like form.

It is another object of the present invention to provide means for continuously processing a plurality of untwisted or twisted filament yarns or tows to form crimped yarns in a web'like form Whose component filaments are splayed and crimped in a zig-zag and multi-planed arrangement.

It is another object of this invention to provide a process for more effectively maintaining separate continuous filament yarns or tows during the crimping of the same to provide a Zig-zag high bulk crimp around the longitudinal axis of the resultant yarn.

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus for maintaining a plurality of filament yarns or rovings separate while simultaneously crimping the individual filaments of such plurality of yarns or rovings whereby there are obtained individual yarns or rovings whose filaments are crimped at different angles with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof up to 180 and in the form of a Zig-zag annular arrangement.

It is another object of the present invention to provide means for continuously dividing and splaying a plurality of continuous filament yarns, slivers, rovings, or

3,273,220 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 tows while the filaments thereof are being individually crimped.

It is another object of this invention to provide dividing means for maintaining tows, slivers, rovings, or yarns about to be crimped in spaced relation whereby the resultant product will have crimps at varied zig-zag and multi-planed angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the resulting individual yarns, slivers, rovings or tows.

It is another object of this invention to obtain a continuous filament yarn or tow whose filaments are provided with a succession of crimps, bends or kinks formed at different angles relatively of the axis of the yarn or tow so that there is effected a high bulk, splayed crimped yarn or tow.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of our invention for processing filaments, yarns, slivers, rovings and fibers;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of FIG. 1 taken on line II-II thereof;

FIG. 3 is an end view taken on the line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective broken view of a portion of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows an exaggerated, somewhat enlarged view of a yarn comprising a plurality of filaments before and after crimping in the apparatus of this invention, and wherein the constituent crimped filaments of the yarn appear substantially in overlapping and web-like form and the crimp being in random, Zig-zag and multiplaned fashion with respect to the longitudinal axis of the yarn;

FIG. 7 illustrates a product produced by the apparatus of this invention and having half turn of twist in yarn or roving of a non-continuous filament nature;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal view of a single filament of a yarn similar to that shown in FIG. 6 partly distended and showing the variable crimp at different angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the yarn; and

FIG. 9 is a top view taken on line IX-IX of FIG. 8 showing the crimps with respect to the normal longitudinal axis of the yarn.

With reference to the drawings, a plurality of separate yarns, slivers, rovings or tows 10 are passed through a guide or eye board arrangement 11 which serves to maintain said separate elements independent of each other and fed in parallel relation when brought into the apparatus hereinafter described. The board is mounted on a platform 12 of a crimping device 15 such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Said device includes a bed or table 16 supported by a plurality of legs 17. It will be noted that guide or eye board 11 as mounted is s'lidable on platform 12 so that its position and location may be precisely adjusted to properly guide the yarns through a pin guide member 17 mounted on said platform. Said pin guide comprises a frame containing a plurality of spaced pin members 17a corresponding to the openings in eye board 11 so as to keep the yarns separate and spaced from each other.

Device 15 is provided with a pair of relatively adjustable, vertically disposed, peripherally smooth pressure rollers 26 and 27 which are mounted on shafts 28 and 29, respectively. The roller shafts are rotatably mounted in bearings 30 and 31, respectively, which in turn are secured to the framework of device 15. Shaft 29 is driven by means of a power unit 32 through a drive means 33 interconnecting pulley 34 fixed to said shaft 29 and a pul- 3 ley 25 fixed to the shaft of motor 32. Said motor 32 drives a gear (not shown) mounted on shaft 29 which in turn drives a gear mounted on shaft 28 and which is meshed therewith so as to simultaneously rotate rollers 26 and 27 in opposite directions.

Said rollers are in tangential relation with each other at their point of yarn contact as more clearly shown in FIG. 2. The rollers are adjustable but are not in actual contact because of the presence of the yarns 10 during the working of the device as will become apparent hereinafter. It will be noted that one roller can be relatively adjusted with respect to the other by means of a spring or other suitable tension regulating frame unit 35, which is provided with a rotatable handle means 36 and a threaded shaft 37 extending through a threaded opening '38 in bracket 39. Roller 26 is pressure urged against roller 27 by means of a pressure spring or suitable device 40 which presses against a housing 4-1. By operating handle 36 the housing 41 and shaft 28 can be moved vertically with respect to the other shaft 29. Said unit 35 is provided in order to permit a slight yielding movement of roller 26 with respect to roller 27 as the yarns pass between them as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Each yarn 10 after passing through the pin guide mem- 'ber spacing arrangement 17 is directed through individual slots 42 of .a dividing device 43 as shown in FIG. 5. The yarns 10 are drawn or passed through said slots in parallel and spaced relation through said dividing device 43 which is so made that it is located directly between the forward or entering bight or nip 44 of rollers 26 and 27 .as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The divider 43 is suitably mounted to the device 1-5 and includes for purposes of illustration a substantially rectangular framework when viewed from the top, comprising side members 44a and 45 and a pair of front and rear members 46 and 47, one of which 46 is clearly shown in FIG. 5. The rectangular shaped framework supports a plurality of flat metal strips 48 formed integrally therewith which are of a curved V-shape and which form a series of slots 42 through which the individual yarns 10 pass. Said strips and framework have a tip or reverse apex 49 which extends into the area, nip or bight of the rollers 26 and 27.

The flat strips 48 in addition to the above description are generally V-shaped as more clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and and as stated, the points of the depending strips are aligned and directed toward the tangential line of the rollers 26 and 27 to direct the yarns individually therebetween. It is to be noted that by means of the eye guide board arrangement 11, guide pins 17a, and divider device 43, the yarns are maintained separately and parallel with each other before they are drawn between the nip or bight of crimping rollers 26 and 27. It is to be further noted that these rollers are elongated and of such length as to accommodate the series of parallel adjacent yarns which would appear in the form of a sheet with spaces separated by the strips as shown in FIG. 1.

Disposed on the other side of rollers 26 and 27 is a stuifer box 50 as clearly seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. As the yarns are drawn between the rollers they enter into a stufier box 50, where because of its restricted area the yarns are backed up, retained and crimped by the weight and pressure of pivoted or hinged pressure door 51, of the box 50. The yarns thus accumulate in the box in such a manner that they are in spatial relation to each other as in the form of a crimped web or sheet. In lieu of the divider 43 as shown, there may also be used a unit merely having individual plates extending over the lower roller and having one half the shape of the framework and plates shown in FIG. 5. During the operation of the apparatus shown in the drawings, the yarns or other material are passed or brought through the slots 42, and it will be noted that each of the yarns 10 will have sufficient room on either side of its longitudinal axis for the component filaments to become splayed or disoriented while passing between the rollers 26 and 27 and into the box 50 with the result that the individual filaments while being crimped form a zig-zag pattern relatively of the normal longitudinal axis of the filaments, as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. Also, as they pass into the box 50 the filaments have suflicient room to form lateral crimps at different angles and amplitudes with respect to the longitudinal axis of the yarn, as shown in FIG. 9. In other words, there is a change in direction of the crimp in the filaments about the axis of the yarn. This type of crimp forms a product which is more billowy, bulky and lofty. A product made from yarns of this type exceeds the bulkiness and loftiness of natural wool.

After the yarns have passed between the rollers 26 and 27, and have filled up box 50, they press against the walls thereof as a result of the continued increment of yarns forced into the box 50 by the rotation of the aforesaid rolls; and as a consequence the yarns force the pivotal pressing door 51 to yield against such pressure of the accumulated yarns 52 exerted against door 51 whereupon the crimped yarns pass onto a table 53, then drop into a box 54 or are collected in any suitable manner adjacent the crimping device as described in the above cited patent applications and patent.

The resultant, relaxed, crimped web of continuous filament yarns is passed through a condenser 55 mounted on frame 12, collected in container 54 in a web-like form and is then moved into a setting oven or is set by any other means suitable for setting the yarns which have been crimped. When the setting operation is completed, the crimp is permanently formed. The heat-setting may be accomplished by use of steam, infra-red rays, heat coils, ultra-sonic or high frequency means or other suitable means. It will be noted that a setting oven is customarily used in the textile art and that there is an application of heat, pressure and moisture on the yarns or material therein. It has been found that the temperature range to be used may vary depending upon the type of yarns being treated in the setting oven. The range may be anywhere from 18()-350 F. or higher as required. It has been found, for example, that the desired temperature for setting one type of nylon is about 270 F. and for saran 180 F. F. The length of time required for setting may vary anywhere from 15 minutes or less to 1 /2 hours or more up to 3 hours, while the steam pressure in said oven may be varied from 30-50 pounds per square inch. By the aid of this setting operation the crimp is permanently formed in the continuous filament yarns. The yarn 56 with a permanent crimp is shown in FIG. 6. A single filament 57 taken from yarn 56 with a permanent crimp is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

As heretofore mentioned, this invention is applicable not only to yarns but as well as to the crimping of slivers or rovings which may be crimped in the manner aforedescribed. Preferably such slivers or rovings have been pre-cut and paralleled in suitable lengths and after crimping are subjected to heat treatment to set the crimp and are then drafted and spun to produce a yarn which comprises a plurality of crimped heat set fibers. This is accomplished without encountering the difficulty normally experienced as a result of the resistance of crimped yarns to carding.

From the foregoing description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, it will be noted that by our invention there is provided a device and process for obtaining a novel crimped continuousfilament yarn which is lofty and has the desirable characteristics of a spun-like yarn. Furthermore, a textile or product made with the crimped type of continuous filament yarn of the present invention is resilient and provides air spaces which act as an insulation in contrast to the presently made textiles containing synthetic continuous filament yarn. Because the filaments of this novel crimped yarn are continuous there is no pilling of any of the filaments as in products heretofore made from ordinary spun synthetic yarn since there are not likely to be any free exposed ends of the filaments.

It is an important advantage of the present invention to provide the characteristics of a spun yarn to the synthetic heat settable continuous filament yarn Without any of the defects of spun yarn and Without a higher cos-t of making such a spun yarn.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes other than those referred to above may be .made, that equivalent elements may be substituted for those illustrated in the drawings, that parts may be reversed, and that certain features of the invention may be used to advantage independently of the use of other features, all within the spirit of the invention as defined in the annexed claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. Apparatus for crimping a plurality of individual filament yarns and the like to form bulky crimped yarns therefrom comprising (1) a pair of counter-rotary rollers located adjacent each other and having a common line of tangency forming a nip, the length of said rollers being at least suflicient to accommodate a plurality of yarns in a spaced apart web-like relationship,

(2) yarn guide means extending substantially throughout the length of said rollers, said guide means having spaced apart openings located adjacent the nip of said rollers and said openings being adapted to receive said plurality of individual filament yarns and to direct said yarns in web form in a spaced apart relationship between said rolers at the nip thereof,

(3) housing means adjacent the nip exit of said rollers forming a common crimping chamber for said web of yarns, said housing means having one dimension thereof sufiicient that said web of yarns crimps there- .in while still in substantially said spaced apart relationship, whereby the individual yarns of said Web crimp in multi-planar fashion with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof,

(4) pressure exerting means associated with said housing means substantially laterally coextensive therewith said one dimension, said pressure means and said housing means in combination being adapted to release said yarn-s from said housing means in response to the pressure of said yarns contained therein, and being adapted to release said yarns in the form of a web of crim-ped and bulked yarns arranged substantially according to the yarn spacing at the nip of the rollers, said released yarns being in an easily separable condition.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said dimension of the housing means is substantially constant throughout the extent thereof.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said guide means includes a divider having a plurality of spaced parallel plates providing a plurality of slots located adjacent the nip of said rollers.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein each of said spaced parallel plates has a generally V- shaped configuration which conforms substantially to the shape of the nip formed by the rollers.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said guide means further includes an eyeboard positioned in advance of said divider and adapted to receive said individual yarns.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 252,089 1/ 1882 Entwistle 2855 2,178,452 10/1939 Kaufmann 2855 2,181,777 ll/1939 Asbelle 19-4157 2,3 11,174 2/1943 Hit-t 1966 2,514,557 7/ 1950 Pfau 1966 2,575,839 11/1951 Rainard 19-66 2,760,252 8/ 1956 Shattuck 281 2,793,418 5/1957 Pfiau 281 2,860,400 11/1958 Suggs 2840 2,888,733 6/1959 Chur 2872 3,009,233 11/196'1 Murchie et al. 2872 3,067,480 12/1962 Cooker 2854 X ROBERT R. MACKEY, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL FILAMENT YARNS AND THE LIKE TO FORM BULKY CRIMPED YARNS THEREFROM COMPRISING (1) A PAIR OF COUNTER-ROTARY LOCATED ADJACENT EACH OTHER AND HAVING A COMMON LINE OF TANGENCY FORMING A NIP, THE LENGTH OF SAID ROLLERS BEING AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMMODATE A PLURALITY OF YARNS IN A SPACED APART WEB-LIKE RELATIONSHIP, (2) YARN GUIDE MEANS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF SAID ROLLER, SAID GUIDE MEANS HAVING SPACED APRAT OPENINGS LOCATED ADJACENT THE NIP OF SAID ROLLERS AND SAID OPENINGS BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL FILAMENT YARNS AND TO DIRECT SAID YARNS IN WEB FORM IN A SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS AT THE NIP THEREOF, (3) HOUSING MEANS ADJACENT THE NIP EXIT OF SAID ROLLERS FORMING A COMMON CRIMPING CHAMBER FOR SAID WEB OF YARNS, SAID HOUSING MEANS HAVING ONE DIMENSION THEREOF SUFFICIENT THAT SAID WEB OF YARNS CRIMPS THEREIN WHILE STILL IN SUBSTANTIALLY SAID SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP, WHEREBY THE INDIVIDUAL YARNS OF SAID WEB CRIMP IN MULTI-PLANAR FASHION WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF, (4) PRESSURE EXERTING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID HOUSING MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY LATERALLY COEXTENSIVE THEREWITH SAID ONE DIMENSION, SID PRESSURE MEANS AND SAID HOUSING MEANS IN COMBINATION BEING ADAPTED TO RELEASE SAID YARNS FROM SAID HOUSING MEANS IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESSURE OF SAID YARNS CONTAINED THEREIN, AND BEING ADAPTED TO RELEASE SAID YARNS IN THE FORM OF A WEB OF CRIMPED AND BULKED YARNS ARRANGED SUBSTANTIALLY ACCORDING TO THE YARN SPACING AT THE NIP OF THE ROLLERS, SAID RELEASED YARNS BEING IN AN EASILY SEPARABLE CONDITION. 